Drabble, Drabble
by Manga Girl number 6
Summary: A series of random drabbles featuring Treasure Planet characters in WHATEVER situation possible.
1. Personal Hell

**Author's Note:**

So I wanted something fun, as I was stumped on starting the 1st prequel for my Treasure Planet series: "Starlit Life" entitled "By a Strand of Fate" (for more information on my series, see my profile)... What did I think up? Well… rather than working on my other fanfics (which I should probably be doing), I decided to create this series of one-shots featuring characters from Treasure Planet doing some random stuff. Think of these as plot bunnies, possibilities from alternate universes, episodes of a cheesy morning cartoon show, or spontaneous scenarios… if you will. Anyway, I guess I'll write up a few little drabbles, but they may multiply if I get enough inspiration… Enjoy!

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Cast Line-Up: BEN, Mister Scroop

Drabble Rating: PG-13 (For mild cursing)

Suggested By: Original (Author's crazy thoughts)

Basic Scenario: (Slight Alternative Universe) BEN is guarding Scroop's prison cell.

**1. Personal Hell**

After all he had endured and survived, it had been the work of the same nosy cabin boy -now a captain for the Royal Navy- that had tossed the devious Mister Scroop in the slammer. The judge said that he had 'lucked out' in gaining prison time rather than a life sentence at the gallows, but now… Scroop was sure that the smug justice of the peace was being sarcastic. Worse of all, it was his prison guard that was less than tolerable for the crimson arachnid to last the next twenty-five years in prison.

A routine day in the high security prison block, filled with hundreds of the cosmos' scum and criminals, started near the crack of dawn. Two heavily armed robots would enter his cell, to double-check that his titanium-alloy chains kept him anchored properly to the cold prison wall, particularly regarding the thick shackles that kept his pincers from opening.

After the robots left, an inadequate breakfast was served to all of the prisoners. In the first few days as a prisoner, Scroop had denied himself all meals, up to the point were he was on the brink of starvation. The warden then ordered a squad to force-feed the arachnid. This, Scroop did not like, so he began eating the normal meals that were served on a daily basis to avoid the painful tub being shoved down his throat and having nauseous slime pour into his stomach, which he would often throw up after the ordeal.

Once he had finished off his breakfast the rest of the day would begin. This was the most strenuous part of the day, though it didn't involve any backbreaking labour. It was when his prison guard would pace near the front of his cell, idly whistling a random tune, with his rusty metal clunking at each footfall. He would chatter endlessly on about whatever was on his memory chip; something that Scroop personally wanted to tear out of the back of the android's head and rip to pieces.

The robot, whom always insisted being called: 'BEN', often blabbered on and on about his past life. He spoke to Scroop as if he were some old friend, and casually leaned on one hand against the barred door of the cell, taunting the cell's occupant to no end.

The first hour or so of the morning, BEN would often explain in detail about what went on the previous night; whether it was filling out paperwork, some party he attended, or exactly how many orders of purp juices he had to serve while waiting at the Benbow Inn.

Suffice to say that Mister Scroop could care less about the BEN's constant rambling, and hardly wasted words on the short robot. The arachnid had discovered -from the first few days of listening to BEN's annoyingly, high-pitched voice- that no matter how many choice curse words he bombarded the android with, the latter would continue with whatever he was talking about.

Next came lunch, which was similar to breakfast. Scroop endured a few more hours of the ranting robot until dinner, when the arachnid was blessed with a moment of peace as BEN switched with the silent robot on night shift duty. Then the next day would begin… the same as usual.

One day, however, was different for Scroop. He woke up, as per usual, ate most of his breakfast, though he wasn't feeling particularly hungry, and then waited for the annoying robot to begin his duty. Unfortunately for Scroop, there was a painful migraine developing in his red head. The first two hours of BEN's rambling was tolerable, but as noon approached, the light from the midday's sun filtered into his cell, causing him some sensitivity. After eating his lunch, Scroop found that the combine efforts of the sunlight and BEN's talking were like two serrated hands prying open the halves of his skull.

Scroop gritted his fangs together and tried to shield his golden eyes from the sunlight. But even through his closed eyes, BEN's voice kept the pain at its throbbing apex. How much time had gone by already? A minute? An hour? It was hard to tell through the intense headache.

"So there I was, with fifteen glasses of purp juice-"

"BEN."

The robot snapped out of his ramble to register that the crimson arachnid had actually used his name, for once. He was silenced for a moment, until he could recuperate from shock. "Y-Yes?"

"Shut up." Scroop hissed. "I have a headache."

"Oh…" BEN looked around the empty prison block, making sure it was deserted, and creaked away for a moment.

Scroop inhaled slowly, the echoing silence was thick enough to scour with a cutlass, though it wasn't kept for too long.

Soon BEN's squeaking gears reverberated through the hallways and the robot returned. He double-checked the empty prison block and then typed the code that unlocked Scroop's cell into the door's keypad. The metal door opened and BEN quickly clunked over to the chained prisoner.

Scroop narrowed his eyes at the robot, who was carrying a thick blanket of sorts.

BEN leapt -with surprising agility- up the wall, utilising two picks that had come out of his feet to anchor himself to the wall, until he reached the topmost window. The android unfurled the blanket and covered the window, shadowing most of the cell. BEN hopped from the wall, landing with a ceremonious crash on the hard floor; then the robot simply climbed back onto his feet and exited the cell.

After closing the door behind him, BEN waited outside Scroop's cell in silence. Scroop felt relief pass over his body from the cover of dark.

"Thanks." Scroop mumbled slightly.

BEN let out a sort of half-chuckle and then continued his silence.

Maybe the next twenty-five years in his personal hell wouldn't be _that_ bad.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

By the way, if you want to see a particular drabble written up, I'm definitely up for suggestions.

**Manga Girl # 6**


	2. Balustrade

**Author's Note:**

And they shouted from the rooftops: "On with the drabbles!"

And I responded to them: "Okay."

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Cast Line-Up: Doctor Delbert Doppler, Captain Amelia, the four Doppler children, James Hawkins

Drabble Rating: G (For slight comical violence)

Suggested By: Original (Author's crazy thoughts)

Basic Scenario: A moment of amusing chaos at the Doppler residence.

**2. Balustrade**

The summer morning was tranquil and somewhat sleepy on the desert planet of Montressor. The morning sun was rising over the canyon-riddled planet, its warm rays creeping their way to the large Doppler mansion perched on a tall cliff. Doctor Delbert Doppler was snoozing by the diminished fireplace in his comfortable armchair with a leather-bound book half-held in his hands. The children were off their scholar studies for summer vacation. Captain Amelia Doppler had had her morning cup of coffee. All was well…

That is, until the children woke up… the first crash from the quadruplets room indicated that the quartet was already wrestling in their shared bedroom. Delbert blinked away the sleep and yawned loudly, setting aside his book and slugging into the kitchen to pour himself a mug of coffee.

Amelia smiled weakly at her husband, planting a small kiss on his cheek before another of their children's screams forced her to handle the situation. The brazen captain hurried up the spiral staircase to the quadruplets' room with incredible agility, and then the shouting ensued.

Delbert ignored the situation, knowing fully well that his lovely wife could handle the situation. He blew away the steam from the surface of the hot drink and took a lengthy sip. The cloud of steam cleared away.

Suddenly, a young brunette man unceremoniously entered the kitchen through the back door.

"Woh!" The startled astrophysicist quickly caught his flying mug of coffee before it could spill all over him, and any nearby furniture. "Jim…" Delbert pushed his spectacles into place. "I-I didn't expect you to be here…"

"Well, the academy gave me a week's vacation time," the young man stated. "So I decided I should spend some time with those crazy godchildren of mine." He smirked jovially, nodding to the solar surfers hovering impatiently outside the mansion.

"Now Jim, you know-" Before Delbert could reprimand the young man, there was a simultaneous shout of joy from four separate voices.

"UNCLE JIM!"

Three kittens and one puppy bolted from their room and stopped at the top of the spiral staircase. Each child quickly sat down onto the banister and spun down the corkscrew railing. One after the other, they landed at the base of the stairwell, with their heads spinning.

Amelia calmly walked down the stairs after her children and looked into the kitchen at the young man. The four children were already tackling said young man. The mother feline glanced suspiciously at the idling solar surfers outside the mansion.

"Can we go, please?" The quartet gave their parents the identical set of innocent eyes and pouting faces.

"Jim, kindly refrain from bringing our children through the restricted areas." Amelia stated firmly to the brunette man.

"Yeah, sure thing, Captain." Jim nodded. "We'll just stay in the surrounding area, won't we kids?"

"YAY Breakneck Ridge!" The children hollered in excitement.

Delbert raised an eyebrow. Jim shrugged innocently while shepherding out the four children. Amelia sighed and sat down beside her husband.

There was a silence in the kitchen as the five solar surfers blasted off the backyard of the mansion down the side of the nearby cliff.

Delbert sighed, pushing aside his coffee and looking at his wife. "Did you get any sleep?" He enquired.

"Not much." Amelia stated. "The girls were having a pillow fight until midnight, I didn't get to bed until about two…" She sighed and rubbed her tired eyes. "Then they all came to me wanting a bedtime story, because they had had nightmares, as well as a glass of water."

"Well there's no time like the present." Delbert offered half-heartedly. "We know Jim, he'll be careful with the kids." The father canine smiled. "Let's get some sleep."

"But it's nearly nine!" Amelia stated.

Delbert chuckled, leading his red-haired wife back up the spiral staircase to there room. "Amelia, my darling, you know as well as I do that the time of day won't stop you from getting some sleep."

"Nor you, Delbert." The captain nudged her brunette husband playfully.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Well that was amusing… again, feel free to send me suggestions/requests, I'm all for it!

**Manga Girl #6**


	3. Nightmare

**Author's Note:**

And here we have another drabble! WOOT...

By the way, if you're wondering why I'm movie ratings (G, PG, PG-13 etc.) it's because I like to think of these little drabbles as clips of a giant AU movie! (Visual thinking makes it great, doesn't it?)

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Cast Line-Up: Captain Nathaniel Flint

Drabble Rating: 14-A (For Violence, Action, Blood/Gore, and Death!)

Suggested By: Original (Author's crazy thoughts)

Basic Scenario: A depiction of Flint's crew raiding a ship from a sailor's point of view.

**3. Nightmare**

The night had been so calm; never would he have expected it to end like it did...

They were guarding a merchant vessel, but the ship had hardly been equipped for combat. The moment Flint's legendary ship the _Walrus_ appeared from a rift in the Etherium, he knew that they were doomed.

Flint's ship fired immediately at the rear of their merchant ship, disabling the main generators and halting the ship in its flight. The _Walrus _came alongside the merchant ship. Grappling hooks were tossed aboard with surprising speed and efficiency as the pirates drew themselves closer to their prey.

The bloodthirsty pirate crew of the legendary lord boarded the ship with due haste, their cutlasses gleaming. Their merchant crew had been inadequately arms with blunt swords and out-dated guns, there was no way they'd be able to match Flint's men.

Some of the sailor pleaded for mercy, and surrendered to the pirate crew; but no sooner did they do so would the pirates plunged the tips of their blades through the cowards' stomachs.

"Gutless cowards!" The pirates would cry, and then continued pillaging the ship.

He was armed with a short sword and a pistol. He had purchased the weapons recently, as these were dark times, but never in his wildest dreams had he imagined using these weapons against the infamous band of buccaneers.

He unsheathed his sword and went one-on-one against a large pirate, cutting the scum down with a swipe and moving on to the group of pirates that were trying to get into the lower decks.

The rapscallions turned around, their blades dripping with the blood of his comrades. He shouted in anger, the fiery rage within him stoked from his friends' sacrifices. The shriek of blades clattering against each other was deafening as he fought valiantly against the troop of pirates.

Suddenly the pirates backed off, looking past him at something. He hesitantly turned, keeping an eye on the group of pirates and gripping his sword firmly.

What he saw was a being only mentioned in myths and bedtime stories, the notorious Captain Nathaniel Flint. The man stood with his sword draw, all six of his eyes flashing with a mix of insanity and fury.

The two males clashed together in a fight, no doubt that Flint had the upper hand, and he plunged his sword into his opponent's side. The injured man grasped his wound with one hand and continued to fight the pirate legend, unwilling to give up on the losing fight.

Flint finally knocked the sword out of his opponent's hand, slicing the injured man across the torso. The man grasped the pistol at his side and shot at Flint before collapsing onto the bloodstained deck.

The shot did little damage to the pirate captain, merely catching his shoulder, and Flint ordered his pirates to continue the raid. Flint walked towards his defeated opponent and he raised his sword to stab through back of the injured man's neck.

With the screaming, the roar of cannons, and singing of metal on metal all around him, the dying man realized that this wasn't a wild dream. It was a horrible nightmare…

There was a thud and his world went back.

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**Author's Note:**

Don't forget to send me those suggestions; I'm eager to see what you think!

**Manga Girl #6**


	4. Between Branches

**Author's Note:**

Aha! My first reader-suggested scene… I hope to receive some more soon! (hint, hint)

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Cast Line-Up: John Silver, James Hawkins

Drabble Rating: PG (Humour, and Friendship)

Suggested By: Shadows of Shadows

Basic Scenario: "Have Jim stuck in a tree and Silver needs to get him down somehow" -Shadows of Shadows

**4. Between Branches**

"Watch this, Silver!" Jim hollered from above the aforementioned cyborg.

"I'm watching, Jimbo, I'm watching…" John Silver shook his head in disbelief. Morph chirped happily from where he was at Silver's shoulder and transformed into a pair of binoculars to watch Jim.

Ever since he had retired from piracy, making amends with the law by helping Jim save the life of the Kalepsian ambassador, Silver had been working at the Benbow inn as a cook while Jim continued working for the Interstellar academy.

Now that Jim was on his summer break, he wanted to make sure that every moment with Silver mattered and that no amount of time could be wasted.

Jim fired up his solar surfer and did a loop-de-loop. The young man wasn't usually one to show-off his skills on a solar surfer, but Silver was definitely an exception.

Silver applauded from where he was on the ground and Jim smiled. He unfurled the solar sail, allowing it to absorb solar energy as he thought of what to do next.

Jim then launched his solar surfer, getting higher up in the air. The solar sail shimmered as it got closer to the source of sunlight and the rocket gave an additional blast.

Silver squinted, one had over his eyes, and he searched the sky for Jim. Morph chirped in confusion.

Jim finally stopped his ascension, pressing a button with his back foot to fold away the solar sail. The solar surfer paused for a moment before falling back towards the ground. Jim closed his eyes, spinning around as he began to gain speed.

The young man looked to be heading for a suicidal face-plant into the ground, but moments before he would've crashed, Jim turned his solar surfer and opened the sail. The charged solar surfer fired up and Jim went off soaring.

What the young man hadn't noticed was that there was a large purp tree in the path of his solar surfer, that is, until he crashed into it.

Silver cringed and Morph squeaked fearfully as Jim unceremoniously crashed into the purp tree. The cyborg limped over to the base of the tree, with the protoplasm at his shoulder.

"Jimbo?" Silver called up through the green leaves of the fruit-riddled purp tree. "Are yeh alright, lad?"

"Yeah..." Jim's voice came from above. Some loose purps and leaves tumbled to the ground as Jim parted the lower branches and looked down at John Silver. "My surfer's stuck though..."

Silver sighed. "Try an' tug it loose, lad."

"I'm trying!" Jim called as the branches moved and more leaves fell from the tree.

After a while of struggling, Jim's head popped back through the lower branches of the purp tree.

"There's no way I can get it out." Jim stated. "And my feet are stuck in the bindings too…"

John Silver sighed as he looked up at the inverted youth. "Well, I expect that yer mother's not goin' teh want yeh stuck upside-down all day…" His mechanical arm shifted into a cannon.

"Wait! What're you doing?" Jim shouted as Silver charged up the weapon.

The cyborg stood in a concrete stance, "Timber, lad, timber…" he answered plainly and then blasted a hole through the trunk of the purp tree.

The purp tree fell to the ground, violet purps and green leaves scattering about, and Silver looked through the tangled branches with a raised eyebrow.

Jim's head suddenly popped out of a pile of broken branches, and the youth glared up at Silver. "You could've given me a better warning than that." He growled.

Silver shrugged. "Did yeh want teh fly into another tree an' _then_ I'll give yeh a better warning, Jimbo?"

Jim grumbled, clearing some of the branches around him and pulling out the twisted remnants of his solar surfer. He sighed, standing back up onto his feet and he dragged the solar surfer out behind him.

"Looks I won't be flying into anything for a while…" The brunette teenager sighed. "The thing's busted."

Silver chuckled. "Yer mother will be glad for that…"

Jim smirked. "But guess what _we_ can work on for the rest of the summer break…"

Silver sighed. "I suppose yeh are right, Jimbo…" The cyborg helped the young man with the last bits of the solar surfer and began heading back towards the Benbow Inn. "I suppose yeh are right…"

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Thank you to _Shadows of Shadows_ for the review, for replying to my PM, and (after some discussion) making up this crazy suggestion!

**Manga Girl #6**


	5. Skillet

**Author's Note:**

More reader suggestions, Hurray!

* * *

Cast Line-Up: John Silver

Drabble Rating: PG (Adventure, Humour, Slight Violence and Slight Romance)

Suggested By: Wherever Girl

Basic Scenario: "what Silver is up to after he leaves" -Wherever Girl

**5. Skillet**

It had been a hard month of sailing the Etherium for John Silver. He only ever stopped to pick up provisions and repair his stolen longboat as he continued travelling. He was heading home, a place that he'd thought he'd never get to lay eyes on again.

The cyborg walked up to the front of a small house. His mechanical leg had only just been repaired, so he was still using his cyborg arm as a crutch to ease the weight off of it.

John rubbed the back of his neck nervously and then knocked on the door. There was a scuttling within. While John waited outside the house, he was debating whether he should leave now. He had no time to make the decision as the door opened and a woman stood in the doorway.

"Can I help you?" She asked.

John cleared his throat as he looked upon the visage of his wife. "It's me Negress…" He said softly.

The woman's eyes widened in surprise, "John?" She was speechless for a moment; then she shook off her shock as her eyes narrowed. "What was the last thing I told you?" She snapped.

"Well right after yeh hit me with that frying pan, it's a bit fuzzy." He smirked.

The woman's expression didn't change, "I told you, that as long as you were going about this pirate's business, searching the Etherium for Flint's Trove, I didn't want to see you!" She stated. "And don't think that I won't do the same now…" She grabbed something within the house and glared at John.

The cyborg's smirk widened as he reached into the outer pocket of his jacket with his organic hand and pulled out a handful of treasure. The gold coins and cut jewels sparkled in the mid-afternoon sunlight.

The woman was speechless once more. Then she raised her frying pan and gave Silver a hard wallop on the non-mechanical side of his face. The woman sidestepped, to avoid John's falling body, as he tumbled forwards into the house with stars in his eyes.

A rare smile appeared on the woman's face and she looked down at her now-unconscious husband. "It's good to have you back, John…"

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Man, I love parody/humour drabbles... Anyway, thanks to _Wherever Girl_ for the suggestion!This drabble is also based off of a line in _Treasure Island_: "I dare say he met his old Negress, and perhaps still lives in comfort with her"

**Manga Girl #6**


	6. Tableware

**Author's Note:**

HUZZAH! Yet another reader suggested drabble (love it!)

So here's a drabble as my Christmas present to you awesome readers!

* * *

Cast Line-Up: BEN, Morph, Sarah Hawkins

Drabble Rating: PG (Comic Violence, Humour, and general BEN/Morph craziness)

Suggested By: Wherever Girl

Basic Scenario: "Why not write about a conflict between Morph and BEN at the Benbow Inn?" -Wherever Girl

**6. Tableware**

It was a day like any day at the Benbow Inn, with the coming and going of customers as well as the hectic rush at each mealtime.

Currently the lunch rush at the inn had subsided, leaving a huge pile of dishes in the kitchen to be washed for the next meal, and a bubbling cauldron of stew that was to be served.

Sarah Hawkins, innkeeper and manager, had left the Benbow Inn to pick up some ingredients for the aforementioned stew. As Jim was away on a mission for the Interstellar Academy, Sarah left BEN in charge of the inn for the short time that she'd be gone.

While Sarah was away, BEN decided to get a head start on washing the mountain of dishes in the kitchen. While the rusted android was filling up the kitchen sink with sudsy water, a particularly mischievous shape-shifter was playing played amongst the growing soap bubbles.

BEN was particularly startled when the pink protoplasm went behind a large bubble, giving off the illusion that he was much larger than normal.

The surprised android dropped the plate he was washing, and it hit the ground with a magnificent smash.

BEN yelped and then glared at the protoplasm. "Hey!"

Morph giggled, dipping into the soapy water and squirting BEN with a torrent of water.

"Cut it out!" BEN yelled, reaching a hand into the soapy water to find the evasive protoplasm.

The android groped about, when Morph –transformed as a bucket- flew out of the sink and dumped the contents of his bucket form onto BEN's head.

"AH!" BEN swore he heard something crackled in his circuits and he quickly snatched the laughing protoplasm from the air. "Got'cha!" He shouted victoriously. All too soon…

Morph sifted through BEN's metal fingers and splashed him once more.

"That's it!" BEN warned, grabbing a nearby mop and began swinging at the protoplasm angrily.

There were some more crashes and clangs as the chaos within the Benbow Inn's kitchen intensified. BEN, brandishing the mop as if it were a lethal weapon, was making a mess of the kitchen while Morph continued finding ways of splashing BEN.

BEN swung the mop, unintentionally knocking down several stacks of plates and jarring the cauldron of stew, to try and hit Morph. The pink blob agilely dodged the attack and wove around the cauldron.

Sarah Hawkins entered her kitchen just as both BEN and Morph had tipped over the cauldron of stew, emptying it of its contents.

There was a deafening quiet in the kitchen as Sarah's pale blue eyes flashed dangerously.

"H-He started it…" BEN pointed a finger at Morph who blew a loud raspberry.

Sarah, calming herself down with a series of long deep breathes, looked at the two culprits sternly. "Get this mess, clean up." She ordered.

"Aye-Aye!" BEN and Morph nervously responded.

Sarah tried to salvage what was still edible from the stew, and began preparing more of the batch in one corner of the kitchen. BEN half-heartedly began washing the dishes.

Morph quickly dove under the water and then sneaked a squirt of water at the android. BEN narrowed his eyes at the protoplasm.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Thank you once again, _Wherever Girl_ for suggesting this drabble and then replying my PM to discuss the specifics.

And to _Horsygirl 96_ (since you sent me an anonymous review, so I am unable to PM you...): unfortunately, I was thinking of just using the original cast from the movie, and avoid other characters, however, I may consider your character in future fics -or reference to her- if you would allow me.

**Manga Girl #6**


	7. Memories

**Author's Note:**

And here's one of a few drabbles that I've been working on over Christmas...

* * *

Cast Line-Up: Sarah Hawkins, Leland Hawkins (technically you see part of him in the movie)

Drabble Rating: PG (Romance, Family and Slight Angst)

Suggested By: Original (Author's crazy thoughts)

Basic Scenario: How Sarah got her heart-shaped locket

**7. Memories**

Leland Hawkins looked down at the tiny package in his hands as he walked up to the Benbow Inn. Tonight was a night to remember. It was the day of his and his wife's first anniversary for their marriage, the tenth anniversary of their first meeting, and the day of a century-old celebration.

The young man shook his bangs from his eyes and pushed open the door. The front section of the inn -which served as a dining room during the daytime- was empty, as many of the patrons had left the inn for the celebration in town.

Sarah sat on a comfortable loveseat in front of the fire, not noticing her husband's arrival, as she was completely absorbed in the book she was reading. Leland smiled, recalling the night he and Sarah had first met short years ago.

He had been a newcomer to Montressor, searching the galaxy for work, when he crash-landed his skiff near the Benbow Inn. The engine of his boat had failed due to the dreary weather, and he resolved to search for shelter for the night. What he hadn't known was that the Benbow Inn was hosting the festivities. He had made quite the startling entrance into the Benbow Inn, sopping wet from walking through the pouring rain, his clothing muddy, and he was chilled to the bone. The room had gone quiet once he had entered, then a young woman with long brunette hair and amazing ocean-blue eyes had come to his aid, offering her hospitalities.

Leland looked at Sarah and was inclined to thank whatever powers in the Etherium had allowed the engine of his skiff to fail in order to meet this incredible woman. His wife hadn't changed much over the years, only now that her stomach was round from carrying their first child, but Leland still thought her to be beautiful.

He walked behind the loveseat and gently wrapped his arms around Sarah. Sarah looked up from the book she was reading and peered over her shoulder at her husband.

"Hey…" Leland smiled. "What'cha reading?" He asked.

"It's nothing…" Sarah shrugged, smiling and planting a kiss on her husband's cheek.

Leland chuckled. "It must be something if it can keep you from noticing _me_ from entering…" He gently kissed Sarah's temple and then hoped over the back of the loveseat, plopping himself beside Sarah.

The young woman giggled a bit, setting aside her book and wrapping her arm around her husband's. "Happy Anniversary, Leland…" She smiled to him.

"Happy Anniversary, Sarah." Leland smiled back and then reached into the pocket of his trousers, feeling the small package with the tips of his fingers. "I got something for you…" He stated.

"Oh, I got you something too…" Sarah leapt up from the loveseat and scurried into the back kitchen.

Leland snickered and pulled out the package. Sarah hurried back into the front room with a large bundle in her arms, wrapped in brown paper and tied together with twine. She sat back down beside Leland with the bundle in her lap.

"Ladies first…" Leland stated, handing the tiny package to his wife with a warm smile.

Sarah looked at the box curiously, gently tugging the red ribbon to unravel the bow and then lifting the lid from the box. A gold heart-shaped pendant strung on a golden chain was inside. Sarah was speechless as she lifted the treasure from its box and looked it over. It was a memory locket. She flipped over the heart and read the text emblazoned on the bottom of the pendant: _'Sarah: I will always be with you and will always love you. Leland'_

The young woman looked at her husband and smiled widely. "I love it." She stated. Sarah gently slipped the chain over her head and let the heart-shaped pendant fall to her chest. "Now it's your turn." Sarah gave Leland the large package.

Leland delicately tugged the twine apart and separated brown paper from the gift itself. A dark leather garment was left in his hands; he lifted it up to eye-level and observed that it was a leather jacket. He smiled and pulled it on.

"How is it?" Sarah asked.

"It's perfect." Leland smiled, wrapping an arm around his wife's shoulders.

"Leland?" Sarah looked up at her husband.

"Yeah?" Leland locked eyes with his wife.

"I love you." She smiled, leaning against his shoulder.

Leland set his hand down on Sarah's stomach and smiled. "I love you too, Sarah."

Sarah looked over the pendant and reread the inscription. Little did Sarah know, that her husband would be abandoning her and the son who she was presently bearing, leaving only scattered memories that could be stored in her locket and a leather jacket that their son would constantly wear.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Oh, that's so sad… (Sorry, can't help myself).

**Manga Girl #6**


	8. Clang! Clunk!

**Author's Note:**

Okay, to recover from that sad drabble (#7), here's a lovely humour one to cheer us all up!

* * *

Cast Line-Up: BEN, Morph, James Hawkins

Drabble Rating: PG (Humour, Comic Violence, and General BEN/Morph Craziness)

Suggested By: Gemini Rat

Basic Scenario: "I would like to see BEN and Jim (and Morph) going through the tunnels to get to the ship. They probably had more than a few mishaps down there." -Gemini Rat

**8. Clang! Clunk!**

Jim dropped down into the endless mass of technology within the planet, ignoring Doctor Doppler's yells to "stay together". Morph was at his shoulder and they continued to plummet through the mechanized planet. Jim landed with a loud CLANK on the metal flooring of a platform.

"Wow…" He breathed, standing up and looking at the marvellous machines around him.

Suddenly, BEN's obnoxious "CANONBALL!" echoed down to where Jim was standing, alerting the young teenager that his rusty metallic friend was coming down as well.

Jim quickly leapt out of the way, to avoid being crushed by the clumsy android, as the aforementioned robot hit the platform with an even louder CLANK! BEN sat on the floor, apparently stunned from the impact, and his head literally rung from the impact's tremors.

Once the ringing halted BEN scrambled to his feet from the significant dent in the metal ground and he looked around the mechanical labyrinth.

There were hundreds of thousands tubes leading towards the surface of the planet, similar to the one that they had dropped down from.

"Hmm…" BEN tapped the side of his head.

Jim rubbed his chin and looked at the many tunnel entrances, "which one?" he asked himself.

"Well Jimmy, standing around all day isn't going to help us," BEN stated loudly, "let's try one out!" He hefted open a thick metal door and the huge head of a monster roared at him.

Before the leviathan could swallow BEN whole, the robot slammed shut the door on its face and secured it tightly.

"Then again… maybe we should just go back…" BEN suggested with a nervous laugh.

"You knew about this in the first place," Jim interjected, "where are we?"

"Where are we?" Morph echoed obediently.

"Umm..." BEN stroked the side of his metal head, trying to search for the mental map he had forgotten.

Jim sighed, not bothering to wait for the android to remember, and walked down the lengthy platform. He looked upwards at a series of steps, back at the hopelessly pondering robot, and then began hiking up the stairs.

"Jim! Jimmy! Wait for me!" BEN voice came immediately as Jim ascended.

The rustic robot clanked after the young teenager and they both scaled the stairway. After a long period of walking upwards, the stair levelled off to a large platform in which more tubes branched off of, each was covered with a metal grate that acted as a doorway.

Morph looked at each tube and then shifted into a nose, sniffing at one large tube in particular.

"What is it, Morph?" Jim approached the tube.

"Timmy fell down, the well?" BEN interjected before Morph could explain himself, "The barn's on FIRE?!"

Jim quickly turned around and clamped the robot's mouth shut and turned back to Morph. "What is it?" He asked.

Morph transformed into a recognizable bowl of Bonzabeast stew.

Jim felt his stomach grumble at the protoplasm's imagery. "Yeah, I know, I'm hungry too..." He shook off the thought of food, "but we've got to get back to the Legacy, Morph."

Morph sighed, trying to make his point, and transformed into a image of Silver cooking a pot of Bonzabeast stew, then of pirates eating the stew, and then he shifted into an arrow pointing down the throat of the tube.

"Oh..." Jim realized. "So they're down here." He opened the grating and climbed into the tube.

BEN snagged the back of Jim's shirt. "Jimmy, what if there are monsters down there?"

"Don't be silly, BEN... there aren't any monsters down here." Jim turned and looked into the black depths. "Except the ones at the other end of the tube," he murmured darkly.

There was a lengthy pause between the three explorers. Jim shook the gloomy thoughts from his mind and slipped down the tube. Morph and BEN followed him soon after.

The tube dropped until they were almost free-falling, and then levelled out.

In front of them was a questionably rustic ladder leading to the mechanized ceiling above them. At the top of the ladder, which came to the ceiling, was a panel that seemed to open outwards.

Jim ascended the ladder and lifted up the panel just enough to see out of it. The panel itself was camouflaged by ferns and the like, and Jim saw the group of pirates snoozing around a large campfire.

"So what's the plan?" BEN asked loudly.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

I've also run into another writer's block for "By a Strand of Fate" so I'll use some drabbles to try and stimulate my creativity!

Thanks to Gemini Rat for the review/suggestion, and while we're waiting (for me to smash the writer's block with a sledgehammer) feel free to suggest some drabbles of your own!

**Manga Girl #6**


	9. Game

**Author's Note:**

Thank you for the help _Wherever Girl _and here we go with a nice long drabble!

* * *

Cast Line-Up: John Silver, Mister Scroop, James Hawkins

Drabble Rating: PG-13 (Action/Adventure, Hurt/Comfort, and Slight Humour)

Suggested By: Wherever Girl

Basic Scenario: "Could you write one where Jim has a horrifying near-death experience (worse than the ones he had in the movie) and he's all freaked out about it and Silver (once again) comforts him?"

**9. Game**

It was a sunny day on the RLS Legacy, as the infamous tall ship was passing by a neighbouring star system. Jim was down on his hands and knees, scrubbing the main deck. His face was flushed from the manual labour and the sweat he produced made his shirt stick to his back.

Unexpectedly, a shadow was cast over him. Jim looked up from his work, half-expecting it to be Silver. He groaned inwardly when he recognized the sailor. It wasn't Silver. It was Scroop.

"Cabin Boy." Scroop curtly greeted Jim; unusually sociable today, rather than ignoring the brunette teenager and glaring at him from the shadows as he usually did.

"What do you want?" Jim glared up at the arachnid.

Scroop smirked slightly, stepping to the side so that brilliant starlight shone back in Jim's eyes. The crimson alien walked around Jim while the cabin boy tried to keep his eyes on him.

He glanced at the young man and began. "A little birdie told me that you like to play games… isn't that right, Cabin Boy?" Scroop paced around Jim.

"Not really…" Jim kept his eyes on the arachnid.

Scroop ignored Jim's response and continued. "So how 'bout you play a little game that I've planned?"

Jim's head was beginning to spin from keeping watch over Scroop. The brunette cabin boy shook the dizziness from his head and cleared his throat. "What _kind_ of game?"

Scroop's face broke into a malicious smirk. "I challenge you to harvest some of the rare Djinn lilies that grow on that…" He turned and pointed a pointed at a small rocky outcrop off the starboard side.

Jim scoffed, "aren't we a little old for dares?" he raised an eyebrow.

Scroop's smirk fell, but he kept his composure as he circled Jim once more. "Well… if you think that it's _too much_ for you to get done…then I guess that I win..." the arachnid's sly smirk appeared, "after all… it is such a shame, with what happened to Mister Arrow…" he clicked around the Jim while Jim's grip on his scrub brush tightened, "We wouldn't want to think that you can't do anything, properly…" Scroop paused ever so slightly, and then added, "that you're nothing but a screw up…" his emphasis on 'screw up' immediately got to Jim.

"That's enough!" Jim snapped, leaping to his feet to meet Scroop's golden eyes as he threw the scrub brush angrily against the deck. "I'll play your stupid game… and I'll show you just what I can really do…"

"So then it's settled…" Scroop's smug smirk remained, he then sauntered off towards the lower entrance to the ship's galley, "I suggest you'd get started, Cabin Boy…" He added, before disappearing below deck.

Jim remained on the main deck, standing in his puddle of soapy water. He thought about what he'd just agreed to and looked out at the rocky outcrop.

"I'll show him…" He murmured under his breath. Jim then set off to the lower decks.

The brunette cabin boy looked around when he arrived in the longboats' dock house. The coast was clear. Keeping his eyes peeled, Jim opened up the lower hatch and hopped into the nearest longboat. He lowered the longboat until it had cleared the bottom of the ship. He sighed and looked at the controls of the longboat, then Scroop's "screw up" echoed in his head. Jim shook himself back into determination and fired up the longboat.

The rocky outcrop turned to be much farther from the RLS Legacy than Jim had expected. It took him a few minutes until he was finally next to it.

Jim hopped from longboat onto the rocky outcrop, seeing that it was in fact populated with hundreds of colourful, unique flowers. Jim looked over the variety of flowers, trying to find which one what the Djinn lily. He pried his mind for some sort of clue to the flower's identification, panning over memories of Doctor Doppler's teaching him galactic botany while his mother was busy running the Benbow Inn.

When Jim set his eyes on a large, lamp-shaped flower, golden in colour, he recognized it to be the Djinn lily. Jim walked through the field of flora, trying to avoid crushing any of the plant life, until he had reached the cluster of Djinn lilies.

Jim glanced back at the longboat and reach out to the golden plant. His fingers brushed against the glossy petals of the lamp-shaped flowers. He grasped a flower with one hand and carefully snapped the thick black stem upon which it was growing.

A cloud of shimmering golden pollen burst from the Djinn lily, right into Jim's face. The young man coughed what pollen he had inhaled and waved away the cloud.

"This should be enough…" He murmured to his self, pocketing the flower and turning around. When he looked back at the longboat, he noticed that it was beginning to float away. "No! No!" Jim hurried after the evasive boat, ignoring the flowers that he was crushing and the clouds of pollen the he was stirring up.

Jim leapt from the rocky outcrop, clearing some considerable air, before landing in the longboat. A sharp pain zapped up his right arm as it had cracked against the steering column of the longboat. Jim groaned for a few minutes, regaining the feeling hi his arm as he sat in the back seat. He glanced off the starboard side of the longboat. He noticed how far away the RLS Legacy was getting.

"Crap." He sat up and powered up the longboat's engine. "Come on!" He yelled at the engine, waiting for it to fire up. Once it roared to life, Jim boosted his self towards the wayward ship.

Jim zoomed towards the RLS Legacy, determined not to lose his ticket to adventure. He looked ahead and noticed how much darker it seemed to be getting.

"What the…?"

The longboat bumped to one side as it hit something. Jim gasped in pain as he hit his already injured shoulder against the side of the longboat. He scrambled to regain control of the longboat and looked ahead: an asteroid field.

"Oh brilliant…" Jim cursed under his breath, trying to steer the longboat through the dense asteroid field while maintaining a fast enough speed to catch up with the RLS Legacy.

The longboat bumped and grinded, jostling Jim from side to side with each impact. Jim tried to swerve out of the way of each asteroid until the steering column unexpectedly locked.

"No, no, no!" Jim pulled against the control; his life was flashing before his eyes as Scroop's malicious words played over and over in his head. "NO!" Jim shouted. He pulled with all of his strength against the control and the longboat managed to avoid a head-on collision with a large asteroid. The starboard side of the longboat grinded against the rocky exterior of the asteroid, pieces of wood chipped off of the exterior.

Jim cleared the asteroid field with one last blast of solar energy and he heaved a sigh of relief, having finally caught up with the RLS Legacy. He began hoisting the longboat into its lower chamber. This was considerably harder because the pulley system required two people and because of his injured shoulder.

Finally, Jim had secured the longboat and closed the hatch. He let out a long sigh as he sat back down in the longboat, his head in his hands. He looked at the damaged vessel and mentally kicked his self.

"Can do anything right…" Jim eased a hand through his bangs. He huffed angrily and kicked the inside of the longboat.

"Jimbo…?" Silver's ever-familiar voice called down.

The cyborg cook lumbered into the longboats' chamber with Morph at his shoulder. The pink protoplasm spotted Jim and flew over to him, squeaking with delight.

"Ah, there you are, lad…" Silver smiled broadly, "got some work to finish, now don't you?"

When Jim neither turned to face Silver nor answered him, the cyborg clued in to the brunette teenager's crestfallen demeanour. He walked around the dock and noticed the tears falling from Jim's eyes.

"Jimbo?" Silver asked softly, looking at the troubled youth with concern.

"I'm such a screw-up!" Jim sobbed, punching the bench seat in the longboat angrily.

Silver was confused by this and then noticed the heavily damage inflicted upon the longboat. "What happened, lad?"

"It's Scroop!" Jim blurted out. "He got me mad enough to play his stupid game, then I busted my shoulder, the throttled jammed, and I nearly got my self killed…"

Silver looked up at the boy, an eyebrow raised in curiosity. "A game, you say…?"

Jim sighed, digging into his pocket and he pulled out the Djinn lily. The golden flower still retained its lamp-like shape even after all it had endured.

"Scroop dared me to go and get this…" Jim explained, "he said I'd be nothing but a screw-up if I couldn't do it."

"I see…" Silver stroked his stubble-covered chin with the tips of his mechanical fingers, "well -Jimbo- I'm afraid I have only one piece of advice for you… and that's to prove Mister Scroop wrong…" He turned towards the exit of the dock house.

"What?" Jim looked up at the cyborg cook. He hopped down from the longboat and began following Silver towards the exit. "What do you mean?" He asked.

"Well, you got that flower don't you?" Silver stopped at the stairs ascending to the upper decks and he gestured to the lamp-shaped flower in Jim's hands. "Why don't you use that imagination of yours?" He raised an eyebrow as if challenging Jim and then exit the dock house with Morph at his shoulder.

Later on, Jim and Silver were serving the crew their portions of food for dinner.

Once Jim had given each sailor his or her serving of food he stopped at Scroop's table. He quickly dug into his pocket and daintily dropped the flower beside Scroop's plate.

Scroop looked up at Jim, who smirked. "Thought you might like an addition for your flower collection, Bright Eyes."

Jim then sauntered off to the main kitchen while the crew laughed at Scroop.

Scroop's face seemed to turn an even darker crimson, whether it was from anger or embarrassment, no one could possibly discern.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

So, this drabble has motivated me for some chapters for "By A Strand of Fate" however I'll still be taking suggestions and keep you're eyes peeled for updates.

**MG#6**


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